For a long, long time, people have been wanting me to comment on REAL operatic singing, and here it is in all its glory! IMO the greatest scene in all of opera, and three of the greatest basses of the last 50 years of opera. What more could you want?! If you watch this video, you will learn a TON about operatic technique and what it takes to sing opera at a professional level. It's my favorite analysis I've ever done for obvious reasons -- really hope you all enjoy! Any other opera scenes/arias you want me to analyze?
As a trombonist, I'll make one small correction. At 3:50 you said that Don Giovanni was "the first show that trombones were ever used in opera." While rare, trombones were used in opera as far back as 1607. Claudio Monteverdi used 5 sackbuts (OG trombones) in "Orfeo," a Baroque "favola in musica," the style we now call opera. Orfeo is often considered the first FULLY DEVELOPED operatic piece. Although it is now regularly performed, "Orfeo" was written for the private entertainment of the monarch. The first time the trombone was used in opera that was OPEN TO THE PUBLIC was in Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice" (1762) and "Alceste" (1767) that used three trombones. Fun fact: when Alceste was going to be performed in France, the French trombonists were so lacking in talent, Gluck rewrote some of the parts for cornet. This is because, although the trombone was important in church music through the Renaissance, by Gluck's time trombones had completely disappeared in many European countries. (Another fun fact: Handel was fond of trombones, but by then they had virtually disappeared from England, so the British public had no clue what they were, leading to one 18th century music reactor called them "bassoons with an end like a large speaking trumpet." Ah, when people without musical training try to be a music reactor! Not just a problem on CZcams, haha!) Both Gluck and later Mozart reserved the trombone for a key scene of a supernatural nature, leading some music critics of the time to accuse Mozart of plagiarism, since his inclusion of trombones was thematically similar. However, this choice is based on medieval and Renaissance religious music, where trombones often represent God's mighty presence or his wrath! (Mozart's "Requiem" is a great example.) So subconsciously, people associate the low, thunderous power of the trombone with divinity. There's a reason Beethoven called the trombone "the Voice of God"... and why we can all agree that God sounds like Morgan Freeman. So if you count court performances of early-Baroque "favola in musica" in the list of operas (which I do, particularly Monteverdi's "Orfeo") then the very first time a trombone was used in opera was 1607. If you only count something written after the word "opera" was invented and a performances open to the public, then the Gluck operas mark the first time the trombone was used in secular dramatic music. From one classically trained musician to another, I just wanted to share that bonus bit of bone history. I really hope you do more opera reactions. Maybe opera isn't as popular as many of the music groups you react to, but for those of us who love opera, it's vastly educational. I know the orchestra side of things, so it's fun to hear the singer's side. (And yes, opera singers are loud enough to cause hearing damage, haha!)
I can see and hear your joy and love for opera. Thank you for this education! There is nothing quite like those all too few peak experiences, but they stay in memory forever!
Thank you SO MUCH for this. I sang opera as an undergrad and thought I wanted to do it professionally, but then discovered the level of competition was way, way over what I could do. You're totally right about undergrad performances being a learning step which comes nowhere near the professional level, and all that goes into it. The acting, the blocking, I remember taking an acting class that totally changed how I approached a role. And the translations, I learned so much about how different the grammar is from one to another. I had to figure out which word needed emphasis, so instead of relying on the translations that made sense in English, what the audience needs, I did word for word translations for each song. I never realized (though I should have) how much more difficult it is for a bass to be heard over the orchestra. So kudos to you, and I wish you much success. ❤🎵
Kurt Moll is the bomb. Ramey and Furlanetto amazing of course. Not to mention this production is by the legendary Franco Zeffirelli 👍. Great choice thanks for sharing.
The “Drag Me To Hell” scene. Mozart was an absolute genius, I can’t believe that he would have expected his singers to have sung this exactly as written. You pointed out the section where he uses opposing duplet and triplet notes, which is something that he does again and again in his works. Peter, your passion burns through here like a brand. IMO, what you’ve done here is similar to what Amadeus does in showing how Mozart created the Requiem. For many people, opera is inaccessible - whether because of the language barrier, or not understanding the why and how of it is difficult to say. Even people who have sung in other forms ( like chorus, musical theater, etc.) don’t understand how different opera is and what it demands of singers ( and I am definitely in this group ). The explanations you provide in this really help give a much clearer picture of some of the differences in what you have to be able to do to sing opera. Thank you so much for this. I hope that you will continue to find scenes like this to break down, maybe inviting other singers on to talk about another voice part and how a scene goes from good to great for you/them.
The only Opera I've done was Handel's "Acis and Galatea" and the orchestra was tiny so I was able to sing low F's through them, but if we had a bigger orchestra I think I would have died even in my mid-range. I am 19 and don't have even close to a fully developed technique, I just happen to be the only one at my University who can sing low enough to play a villain
Haha I hear you there -- more power in the low range comes with age and training. If you have a decent low F at 19, it'll be killer by your 30s. My Fs were still pretty mid even in my early 20s and they've come a long way now that I'm 30
@@PeterBarber Oh wow, if your low F's were "Mid" at my age then I'm excited so see what my voice becomes when it actually matures more, especially considering how yours sounds. Even last year, my freshman year of college, my opera professor assigned me a piece with a low E and that wasn't really a big deal for me to project it, and it usually isn't, but it was just with a piano and not a whole orchestra. The biggest thing I'm struggling with right now is having to sing super high solo rep but then being the only person physically capable of singing the lower Bass 2 parts in choir. Tis the life I lead and will continue to lead Anyway, thank you so much for replying with this insight! This semester I'm actually doing a scene from Don Giovanni, the Madamina, il catalogo è questo Aria which I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with. Thank you again!
It took me a couple of days to watch the whole reaction but it was a treat! Love your joy and emotions as you watch the opera. And love to see your talent as a singer. I’m sure you are the perfect Don!! Hope you build a great career in opera. You Rock!
Honestly I was expecting pit vipers for the D2 haha Amazing video, I love hearing you dive deep into the operatic talent of these fantastic singers, and honestly seeing you nerd out over all of it made my day.
Thank you for doing this! So cool to be able to bring your analysis of a scene you're actually singing at the moment. Always here for more opera content.
I love seeing how much you enjoy opera!!! I'm always excited when I go to theatre to hear one😂 and all my friends now are tired for example of me trying to explain Azucena's story😂😅 I agree with you! This is also one of my favourite scenes in opera! But what about the finale of Trovatore's second act😏 ho le furie nel cooooor!!!😂 I had the honor to sing it last year with a phenomenal bass which actually was specialized in the wagnerian repertoir so I leave to your immagination his volume🤯
Didnt think I would watch over an hour on opera, but this was a great listen, listened to the whole thing. Gives great context to your pop commentary/comments. bravo!
This was wonderful Peter! My headphones may never be the same! I’d love to see you do more like this. I don’t know much opera and this is a great way to learn something about it.
I will not lie Peter we had this conversation not too many years ago and honestly, i feel like my love of opera only sways when im not singing it, just listening to it or watching it. Singing in opera is just something different! Its so raw and real and intense! I came back to it as well and im excited for a role in my dream Opera Faust! Keep spreading your passion and show people opera is worth going to!
re: 33:12 and "hacking your way through Mozart" until you learn how to sing... I heard one voice teacher say it like this: "Anybody can sing the notes in Mozart, but to make music out of it... that takes a lot of work... you can holler and shout in Puccini or Verdi and get away with it, but you can't cheat in Mozart, he will expose you every time." How was your Ottavio? I've always thought that because daPonte gave him hardly anything to do, Mozart made up for that by composing the two hardest arias in the piece for him.
Thank you for doing this one! And an especially big thanks for pointing out the orchestra as it builds through the runs in the strings. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the singing as it’s my primary instrument that I forget to take in the whole picture.
This is my first introduction to opera and all the comments by you makes me really appreciate the genre. You perfectly demonstrate the power of voice when you try to replicate some sounds and the mic starts clipping😁 That is insane! Have you ever done a video of "opera basics"? For people who never went to one? That would be a cool video and you would be perfect to communicate that😉 Keep up the amazing work mate👍
Man I wish folk like you (and videos like this) were available when I was in high school... I might have got opera! Thank you so much for sharing your passion and knowledge wuth us. And all the best in your carreers (break aleg for this run)
I’m not usually into the opera but I figured you do such amazing analysis on music I do listen too….I HAVE to listen to one from the genre you perform!
Please do an analysis of Jonathan Antoine. I heard him sing for the first time on BGT when he was 17 and his operatic voice was amazing. He is older now but I always remember that first time.
33:38 I am one of those people, who in undergrad sang a 2 1/2 hour Mozart. Having just finished the degree I look back and can tell how hackily I actually sang Fiordiligi and am now having to clean it all up for grad auditions. Thank you for validating the mind fuck I’m going through!
Yes - Kurt Moll is, worth saying, the best bass opera singer in modern history! Every time I hear a bass in opera I automatically compare them to Kurt. Although I do know some great basses in opera: -Antonio Di Matteo -Peter Barber -John Ames That's just my lil top 3:D
I'm glad you loved this video - I watched this when it was on PBS when it came out back in 1990, and recorded it to VHS. Sadly, the PBS broadcast's subtitles were ATROCIOUS. Later, I came across a much better digital version and made translation/subtitles myself. This scene is what got me into opera waay back when. I am honored to have seen (and met) all three of the singers. Ramey, multiple times in SF (Hoffmann, Louise, Boccanegra, Attila), Furlanetto in SF (Attila), and Moll (Osmin at La Scala, Gurnemanz in SF). Personally, I have sung countless Commendatores and Sarastros, and was lucky enough to have sung Osmin and Hunding, as well as much of the standard bass repertoire. Let's talk about sizes of voices: First of all, this was performed at the Met. The Met is a 5K seat barn, acoustically speaking. When I first saw Sam sing in SF, that year they didn't perform in the SF opera house (seismic retrofit), so they performed in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (8,500 seats). Ramey CUT over the orchestra & filled the hall with his voice. The same deal happened with Furlanetto in the SF War Memorial as Attila (Ramey played Leone in that production). Furlanetto FILLED the house with his wall of sound. As to Moll, I sat in the nosebleed cheap seats at La Scala, where he sang Osmin in Mozart's Abduction. His low D's not only blasted up to the cheap seats, but his coloratura was unbelievable. It was the first and only time I've seen a basso profundo get more applause than the sopranos and tenors. Singing Mozart: Isis & Osiris was the first aria I'd ever sang, and Sarastro was the first professional role I performed. When I was 20 (I'm in my 50's now), I saw a production of Magic Flute & the international singer who performed Sarastro and I were talking afterwards & he'd mentioned how hard Sarastro was to sing. As I got older, I realized how true that statement was. ANYONE can sing Mozart, but it's EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to sing it WELL. As a matter of logistics in this scene: When performing the Commendatore, the Don Giovannis and I would have discussions on what would be the best way for me to "grab" him, in order to ensure he had full and correct body alignment to sing properly. I would do a generic 'grab', and D.G. had full control of keeping his body alignment and freedom to move & act as he saw fit, but it LOOKED like I was controlling him. Lastly, getting 'into' a role: Since Mozart was a Freemason, and Zauberflote is considered his "Masonic" opera, I wanted to learn what it was all about, so I joined the fraternity in 2007. I have served as Master of my lodge twice (I'm a 'Past Master'), and have held multiple Grand Lodge positions. In 2014, I was asked by my state's Grand Master to performed at a Masonic Mozart concert. I can now safely say I know more about Masonry than my Masonic brother Wolfgang, and have first-hand knowledge of what it's all about - what is real, and what is not. I can now see where Zauberflote is teaching Masonic ideals, and where it's a simple fairy tale. Again, thank you for reviewing this - I would've replied earlier, but I didn't see your video until today.
It's nice to see someone loving this as much as I do ❤ been listening to Mozart since I was 5 when I saw Amadeus. I thought it was the real Mozart 😊 this part in the movie is absolutely terrifying!
I LOVE Don Giovanni! I like the Rodney Gilfry Commendore scene..I found it interesting getting the audience participation. But this one is my favorite...great analysis! Sue
Amazing!! Thanks so much for giving us this insight. I think it’s awesome that you’re performing this right now, because when you’re DOING it and analyzing someone else’s performance you have more insight into what they’re doing. It’s very cool to see how much you think about every single note, breath, etc. At what age do you think a bass is in his prime? I could probably go back and relisten and do the math but just tell me! LOL. OK, so now, here’s my wish list: 1) Video of one of YOUR actual performances. 2) A new Bass Gang song. 3) Dude, you’re still killing me! Voiceplay???
I really enjoyed this video, it's nice to hear some details about this style of singing straight from an actual opera singer! One thing that I really like you mentioned is the volume of low notes in opera settings. Many people not familiar with opera think that it's so easy to sing a huge low note and be heard, but they don't realise that in opera there is orchestra and absolutely no microphones. Those people are like "Meh, I can sing D2 better than him. He's barely audible!" and they don't know how wrong they are. A barely audible D2 in opera would be like an earthquake if we stood next to the singer singing it. It takes a lot of years of training to be able to pierce through the orchestra with your low notes. I would love to see more videos like this, they can be even 2 hours long, I don't care 😁
One of my favorite bass opera singers is Samuel Ramey. I watched him in that epic LONG LONG marathon performance of 1990 of "The Ring of the Nibelung" shown on PBS tv where he played the role of Odin or Wotan. Jessye Norman was also in this literally MARATHON production which they did in a series of 3 episodes at The MET. Wow! I learned something new! I did not know that Don Giovanni was the first opera that used trombones in the orchestra. That must have been the genius of Mozart trying new things to make things better!
Hello Peter. This is also one of my favorite operatic scenes, although I admit my personal taste for Opera is extraordinary limited so I don't have a wide range of knowledge yet. Some very highly acclaimed arias or operas simply aren't for me. (Lammermoor anyone?) When it comes to this scene, I have been hooked on this number ever since I saw Amadeus in middle school music class. Everything about the aesthetic got into my soul and stuck. I also love the duet which I can never recall the name of our spell properly LOL. And I truly do love leporello and his catalog song which I also cannot spell yet again. Anyway... I have just stumbled onto your channel and I was wondering if you could cover an opera song that - assuming I remember everything correctly - would be in your range anyway. I don't know the name of the song, it's been years since I've heard it, and because I don't know the proper name of it I can't find it on Spotify, but it is Sarastro song in The Magic Flute, specifically the one directly after the queen of the night's Aria. That one I do know the name of and can't spell it correctly, but I use my microphone to type LOL. And my microphone never hears it correctly. Anyways, do you think you can pick a favorite performance and cover that one? Now, I have much more of a viscerally emotional relationship with music of all kinds. Learning how something is technically performed is very interesting, I would however 😮absolutely love to know how something like the tune I'm requesting is performed in a way that affects the emotion of it as well. I'm also an enormous fan of the final Trio in Faust, although there's only one audio version I've ever heard that I like. And it's in the 1991 TV movie Phantom of the Opera, dubbed for the actors. But the man dubbing Charles Dance's Phantom was Gerard Garino. Fantastic voice I have not really been able to find highlighted anywhere else. In spite of being able to find other albums he's distinctly credited in. I'm also a die-hard fan of the lyrical tenor Peter Schrier, may he rest in peace
At the beginning of the stay-at-home part of the pandemic in 2020, I watched the Carmen production aired by...I think it was the Met.... and it was my first opera. This video makes me want to make Don Giovanni my second. :)
I was so ready to hate on you for making this video. I was thinking, "who is this young upstart, proposing to analyse Moll, Ramey and Furlanetto?" But you actually did a great job on this! Thanks for posting it and good luck with everything after AVA
Interesting analysis of the Commendatore scene. I don't agree with everything, but that is the beauty of music. We all have our own opinions. Best of luck in your career. You have great passion.
Thank you Peter, Appreciate your expertise and sharing of light/dark (harking back to the country dudes singing nessun D) in this analysis. This is enlightening, educational and super enjoyable. Love it.
Is this full orchestration for this scene.If so, incredible vocal performances. My favourite ‘opera buffa’. I thoroughly enjoyed the Opernhaus Zürich production with Rodney Gilfry as Giovanni with Matti Salminen as Commendatore and Lásló Polgár as Leporello. Just came across your channel on my feed. Love your analysis & sheer joy of this listening experience. Subscribed.
Oh, hurray... here you are in your professional element! I don't have the hour and 17 minutes right now, but I promise I will come back later and hang on your every word -- and note, of course. Don Giovanni is one two operas I saw, live and in person, as a teenager in the 1950s, and it made a humongus impression on me. See you later...
@PeterBarber I heard in your videos that you mentioned the Santa Fe Opera. I had no idea about that truly amazing opera house in the desert of New Mexico. Could you maybe do an episode on that opera, the work you did there, what it's like to be on stage with that breathtaking desert landscape and weather in the background? And what the experience was like, to be part of the apprentice program there. Thanks for all the hard work you put into your videos!
I love this analysis so much, you have no idea! Classical music (lets spread that term very thin and say from the late 16th to the late 19th century), and Opera especially, is so vibrant and complex as an art form, its emotions and themes are so enthralling and inspiring. But the vast majority of people on the street these days just don't know that. You being so passionate about this and saying things like "Sick" and "Jazzed" in relation to this is so refreshing and wonderful to watch! I'm in love with this!
Great analysis, as always, Peter. You are among the very best at this, and here is a suggestion: listen to Eva Cassidy's versions of Autumn Leaves and Over the Rainbow. You WILL want to analyze these tunes. Why do I say that? Because I saw you tear up just a little during Geoff's version of Shenandoah, and trust me, while Geoff is absolutely shockingly talented, Eva stands alone in her ability to evoke deep emotions. Be sitting down and with a box of Kleenex at the ready. You've never heard anything like this.
I can do that, and I am close to 70 ysrs old ,all three parts but my preferred one is the Commendatore when he goes down to the low D......Now that is the real deal....I can do it,,,and it resonates ...with proper technique, you will get there...I can help! M
Great video! Would now love to see your reaction of a baritone singing Don G's part so we would see the differences and yor reaction to it as someone with a different voice type but singing the same part.
Kurt Moll was an outstanding bass. My favourite Osmin and Ochs. But his voice as velvetly warm and dark as it was it was not a dramatic bass. He never sang Hagen for a reason. Listen to Martti Talvela as Commendatore in the Böhm recording. Try Ghiaurov, Siepi, London as Don Giovanni..
Ayo Peter, Would love to see more of these reactions (Especially as an operatic tenor not too familiar with bass rep but who has all the love for it.) To be fair though in general Classical bass stuff Isn't talked about much so it would be interesting to get your insight on more of it. Love the video :)
Don Giovanni is not the first time trombones were used in opera. It was Gluck in 1767 who used them in "Alceste". I would not even rule out Monteverdi using them in his operas 150 years earlier.
Great analysis! You should go for Kurt Moll singing Raphael in Haydns Creation "Und Gott schuf große Walfische" or probably for Jonas Kaufmann as Baritone/Tenor :D
Thank you sooooo much for doing this analysis! I've seen a few videos doing this scene with flames on stage. Did your production have flames in this scene?
This is my favorite version of Don Giovanny after Claudio Abbado redition in 1959. It is Epic. Thanks for take the time to analize it. You have to give the protagonism to the opera, not to you. Sorry but somebody have to tell you the truth, you have to maximize opera image not your image.
For a long, long time, people have been wanting me to comment on REAL operatic singing, and here it is in all its glory! IMO the greatest scene in all of opera, and three of the greatest basses of the last 50 years of opera. What more could you want?! If you watch this video, you will learn a TON about operatic technique and what it takes to sing opera at a professional level. It's my favorite analysis I've ever done for obvious reasons -- really hope you all enjoy! Any other opera scenes/arias you want me to analyze?
When will you analyse I See Fire by Geoff Castellucci? I'm just waiting for you for your fantastic analyses
thank you for doing this! much appreciated ;)
I would LOVE to see you analyze the Queen of the Night aria!
one of the best analysis of this scene ever. ramey's great but iwish he act more. not just with voice. he just stares
honestly anything with Kurt Moll
That hellishly low note that Moll sings when he tells Don Giovanni his time is up gave me goosebumps. 😳
As a trombonist, I'll make one small correction. At 3:50 you said that Don Giovanni was "the first show that trombones were ever used in opera." While rare, trombones were used in opera as far back as 1607. Claudio Monteverdi used 5 sackbuts (OG trombones) in "Orfeo," a Baroque "favola in musica," the style we now call opera. Orfeo is often considered the first FULLY DEVELOPED operatic piece. Although it is now regularly performed, "Orfeo" was written for the private entertainment of the monarch.
The first time the trombone was used in opera that was OPEN TO THE PUBLIC was in Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice" (1762) and "Alceste" (1767) that used three trombones. Fun fact: when Alceste was going to be performed in France, the French trombonists were so lacking in talent, Gluck rewrote some of the parts for cornet. This is because, although the trombone was important in church music through the Renaissance, by Gluck's time trombones had completely disappeared in many European countries.
(Another fun fact: Handel was fond of trombones, but by then they had virtually disappeared from England, so the British public had no clue what they were, leading to one 18th century music reactor called them "bassoons with an end like a large speaking trumpet." Ah, when people without musical training try to be a music reactor! Not just a problem on CZcams, haha!)
Both Gluck and later Mozart reserved the trombone for a key scene of a supernatural nature, leading some music critics of the time to accuse Mozart of plagiarism, since his inclusion of trombones was thematically similar. However, this choice is based on medieval and Renaissance religious music, where trombones often represent God's mighty presence or his wrath! (Mozart's "Requiem" is a great example.) So subconsciously, people associate the low, thunderous power of the trombone with divinity. There's a reason Beethoven called the trombone "the Voice of God"... and why we can all agree that God sounds like Morgan Freeman.
So if you count court performances of early-Baroque "favola in musica" in the list of operas (which I do, particularly Monteverdi's "Orfeo") then the very first time a trombone was used in opera was 1607. If you only count something written after the word "opera" was invented and a performances open to the public, then the Gluck operas mark the first time the trombone was used in secular dramatic music.
From one classically trained musician to another, I just wanted to share that bonus bit of bone history. I really hope you do more opera reactions. Maybe opera isn't as popular as many of the music groups you react to, but for those of us who love opera, it's vastly educational. I know the orchestra side of things, so it's fun to hear the singer's side. (And yes, opera singers are loud enough to cause hearing damage, haha!)
As a operatic tenor myself I can confirm we are loud MOFOS haha.
That. Was. Insanely. Awesome!!! I just gained an enormous amount of both knowledge and utter respect for opera and opera singers.
This scene is my favorite in all of opera. I stumbled across this video by accident and I’m settled in to listen to the whole thing.
I can see and hear your joy and love for opera. Thank you for this education! There is nothing quite like those all too few peak experiences, but they stay in memory forever!
My favorite version of Don Giovanni. Ramey, Furlanetto and Hadley were amazing
What a cast.
Thank you SO MUCH for this. I sang opera as an undergrad and thought I wanted to do it professionally, but then discovered the level of competition was way, way over what I could do. You're totally right about undergrad performances being a learning step which comes nowhere near the professional level, and all that goes into it. The acting, the blocking, I remember taking an acting class that totally changed how I approached a role. And the translations, I learned so much about how different the grammar is from one to another. I had to figure out which word needed emphasis, so instead of relying on the translations that made sense in English, what the audience needs, I did word for word translations for each song. I never realized (though I should have) how much more difficult it is for a bass to be heard over the orchestra. So kudos to you, and I wish you much success. ❤🎵
Kurt Moll is the bomb. Ramey and Furlanetto amazing of course. Not to mention this production is by the legendary Franco Zeffirelli 👍. Great choice thanks for sharing.
The “Drag Me To Hell” scene. Mozart was an absolute genius, I can’t believe that he would have expected his singers to have sung this exactly as written. You pointed out the section where he uses opposing duplet and triplet notes, which is something that he does again and again in his works.
Peter, your passion burns through here like a brand. IMO, what you’ve done here is similar to what Amadeus does in showing how Mozart created the Requiem. For many people, opera is inaccessible - whether because of the language barrier, or not understanding the why and how of it is difficult to say. Even people who have sung in other forms ( like chorus, musical theater, etc.) don’t understand how different opera is and what it demands of singers ( and I am definitely in this group ). The explanations you provide in this really help give a much clearer picture of some of the differences in what you have to be able to do to sing opera. Thank you so much for this.
I hope that you will continue to find scenes like this to break down, maybe inviting other singers on to talk about another voice part and how a scene goes from good to great for you/them.
The only Opera I've done was Handel's "Acis and Galatea" and the orchestra was tiny so I was able to sing low F's through them, but if we had a bigger orchestra I think I would have died even in my mid-range. I am 19 and don't have even close to a fully developed technique, I just happen to be the only one at my University who can sing low enough to play a villain
Haha I hear you there -- more power in the low range comes with age and training. If you have a decent low F at 19, it'll be killer by your 30s. My Fs were still pretty mid even in my early 20s and they've come a long way now that I'm 30
@@PeterBarber Oh wow, if your low F's were "Mid" at my age then I'm excited so see what my voice becomes when it actually matures more, especially considering how yours sounds. Even last year, my freshman year of college, my opera professor assigned me a piece with a low E and that wasn't really a big deal for me to project it, and it usually isn't, but it was just with a piano and not a whole orchestra.
The biggest thing I'm struggling with right now is having to sing super high solo rep but then being the only person physically capable of singing the lower Bass 2 parts in choir. Tis the life I lead and will continue to lead
Anyway, thank you so much for replying with this insight! This semester I'm actually doing a scene from Don Giovanni, the Madamina, il catalogo è questo Aria which I think I'm going to have a lot of fun with.
Thank you again!
Thank you. I love Mozart
It took me a couple of days to watch the whole reaction but it was a treat! Love your joy and emotions as you watch the opera. And love to see your talent as a singer. I’m sure you are the perfect Don!! Hope you build a great career in opera. You Rock!
I once heard Ramey in concert. Blew my mind! Thank you, Peter, for doing this!
Absolutely brilliant performance and analysis. I learned so so much from this. Thank you Peter!
Honestly I was expecting pit vipers for the D2 haha
Amazing video, I love hearing you dive deep into the operatic talent of these fantastic singers, and honestly seeing you nerd out over all of it made my day.
So great seeing you enjoying yourself while doing this particular video. Your dedication to your craft shines thru.
How beautiful that you know the part of Don Giovanni!! The score is amazing, Mozart is amazing, and you are amazing!!
It is lovely to see your excitement as you explain and demonstrate. It brought so much knowledge to my listening
This was your best review. Awesome. I had no idea what was involved to REALLY sign great opera. Hope your career goes straight up for you.
Thank you for doing this! So cool to be able to bring your analysis of a scene you're actually singing at the moment. Always here for more opera content.
Ill never forget the impact this scene made on me! This is what made me get into opera honestly! Kurt Moll was my favorite singer at the time too!
I love seeing how much you enjoy opera!!! I'm always excited when I go to theatre to hear one😂 and all my friends now are tired for example of me trying to explain Azucena's story😂😅
I agree with you! This is also one of my favourite scenes in opera! But what about the finale of Trovatore's second act😏 ho le furie nel cooooor!!!😂
I had the honor to sing it last year with a phenomenal bass which actually was specialized in the wagnerian repertoir so I leave to your immagination his volume🤯
Your passion for opera shines through this review. I learnt so much from this. Thank you for sharing. Fantastic job.
OMG! That's like the moment I didn't even know I've been subconsciously waiting for!!!
Didnt think I would watch over an hour on opera, but this was a great listen, listened to the whole thing. Gives great context to your pop commentary/comments. bravo!
This was wonderful Peter! My headphones may never be the same! I’d love to see you do more like this. I don’t know much opera and this is a great way to learn something about it.
As a currently studying bass-baritone, this was one of the most interesting, informative hour’s I have ever had. Would love to see more of this stuff!
Yes! More opera please.
LOVE YOUR PASSION FOR THE BEAUTIFUL ART OF OPERA! I hope you will do more Opera analysis, like Wagner. Thank you for sharing your passion💜
I will not lie Peter we had this conversation not too many years ago and honestly, i feel like my love of opera only sways when im not singing it, just listening to it or watching it. Singing in opera is just something different! Its so raw and real and intense! I came back to it as well and im excited for a role in my dream Opera Faust! Keep spreading your passion and show people opera is worth going to!
re: 33:12 and "hacking your way through Mozart" until you learn how to sing... I heard one voice teacher say it like this: "Anybody can sing the notes in Mozart, but to make music out of it... that takes a lot of work... you can holler and shout in Puccini or Verdi and get away with it, but you can't cheat in Mozart, he will expose you every time."
How was your Ottavio? I've always thought that because daPonte gave him hardly anything to do, Mozart made up for that by composing the two hardest arias in the piece for him.
Love the faces you make
Thank you for doing this one! And an especially big thanks for pointing out the orchestra as it builds through the runs in the strings. Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the singing as it’s my primary instrument that I forget to take in the whole picture.
This is my first introduction to opera and all the comments by you makes me really appreciate the genre. You perfectly demonstrate the power of voice when you try to replicate some sounds and the mic starts clipping😁 That is insane! Have you ever done a video of "opera basics"? For people who never went to one? That would be a cool video and you would be perfect to communicate that😉 Keep up the amazing work mate👍
Man I wish folk like you (and videos like this) were available when I was in high school... I might have got opera!
Thank you so much for sharing your passion and knowledge wuth us. And all the best in your carreers (break aleg for this run)
Thanks so much for this comment -- I'm so glad I can add value and information to your musical experience
@@PeterBarber thank YOU - the editing for this beast must have been epic.
@@tessasilberbauer6219 All credit to the Magic Mason for that! My video editor extraordinaire
@@PeterBarber beastly credits and kudos to Mason then!
A most interesting breakdown.
I have listened and tried to sing this more than one hundred times and you made me hear something new with your astute analysis!
I’m not usually into the opera but I figured you do such amazing analysis on music I do listen too….I HAVE to listen to one from the genre you perform!
Please do an analysis of Jonathan Antoine. I heard him sing for the first time on BGT when he was 17 and his operatic voice was amazing. He is older now but I always remember that first time.
My favourite opera
33:38
I am one of those people, who in undergrad sang a 2 1/2 hour Mozart. Having just finished the degree I look back and can tell how hackily I actually sang Fiordiligi and am now having to clean it all up for grad auditions. Thank you for validating the mind fuck I’m going through!
So much fun watching this with your insights and resonant voice!
Yes - Kurt Moll is, worth saying, the best bass opera singer in modern history!
Every time I hear a bass in opera I automatically compare them to Kurt.
Although I do know some great basses in opera:
-Antonio Di Matteo
-Peter Barber
-John Ames
That's just my lil top 3:D
What do you mean by "modern history"? :)
@@grouchomarx5609 I meant the times since the first Opera recording existed, pardon for not being clear haha
Quite an original list you've got here
I'm glad you loved this video - I watched this when it was on PBS when it came out back in 1990, and recorded it to VHS. Sadly, the PBS broadcast's subtitles were ATROCIOUS. Later, I came across a much better digital version and made translation/subtitles myself. This scene is what got me into opera waay back when. I am honored to have seen (and met) all three of the singers. Ramey, multiple times in SF (Hoffmann, Louise, Boccanegra, Attila), Furlanetto in SF (Attila), and Moll (Osmin at La Scala, Gurnemanz in SF).
Personally, I have sung countless Commendatores and Sarastros, and was lucky enough to have sung Osmin and Hunding, as well as much of the standard bass repertoire.
Let's talk about sizes of voices: First of all, this was performed at the Met. The Met is a 5K seat barn, acoustically speaking. When I first saw Sam sing in SF, that year they didn't perform in the SF opera house (seismic retrofit), so they performed in the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium (8,500 seats). Ramey CUT over the orchestra & filled the hall with his voice. The same deal happened with Furlanetto in the SF War Memorial as Attila (Ramey played Leone in that production). Furlanetto FILLED the house with his wall of sound. As to Moll, I sat in the nosebleed cheap seats at La Scala, where he sang Osmin in Mozart's Abduction. His low D's not only blasted up to the cheap seats, but his coloratura was unbelievable. It was the first and only time I've seen a basso profundo get more applause than the sopranos and tenors.
Singing Mozart: Isis & Osiris was the first aria I'd ever sang, and Sarastro was the first professional role I performed. When I was 20 (I'm in my 50's now), I saw a production of Magic Flute & the international singer who performed Sarastro and I were talking afterwards & he'd mentioned how hard Sarastro was to sing. As I got older, I realized how true that statement was. ANYONE can sing Mozart, but it's EXTREMELY DIFFICULT to sing it WELL.
As a matter of logistics in this scene: When performing the Commendatore, the Don Giovannis and I would have discussions on what would be the best way for me to "grab" him, in order to ensure he had full and correct body alignment to sing properly. I would do a generic 'grab', and D.G. had full control of keeping his body alignment and freedom to move & act as he saw fit, but it LOOKED like I was controlling him.
Lastly, getting 'into' a role: Since Mozart was a Freemason, and Zauberflote is considered his "Masonic" opera, I wanted to learn what it was all about, so I joined the fraternity in 2007. I have served as Master of my lodge twice (I'm a 'Past Master'), and have held multiple Grand Lodge positions. In 2014, I was asked by my state's Grand Master to performed at a Masonic Mozart concert. I can now safely say I know more about Masonry than my Masonic brother Wolfgang, and have first-hand knowledge of what it's all about - what is real, and what is not. I can now see where Zauberflote is teaching Masonic ideals, and where it's a simple fairy tale.
Again, thank you for reviewing this - I would've replied earlier, but I didn't see your video until today.
It's nice to see someone loving this as much as I do ❤ been listening to Mozart since I was 5 when I saw Amadeus. I thought it was the real Mozart 😊 this part in the movie is absolutely terrifying!
4:43 Don't forget Ezio Pinza, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Ruggero Raimondi, James Morris, Nicola Ghiuselev, and, also, Ferruccio Furlanetto too.
This is going to age me but I've been in towns with phonebooks smaller than that score you hauled out at the start
I LOVE Don Giovanni! I like the Rodney Gilfry Commendore scene..I found it interesting getting the audience participation. But this one is my favorite...great analysis! Sue
Amazing!! Thanks so much for giving us this insight. I think it’s awesome that you’re performing this right now, because when you’re DOING it and analyzing someone else’s performance you have more insight into what they’re doing. It’s very cool to see how much you think about every single note, breath, etc.
At what age do you think a bass is in his prime? I could probably go back and relisten and do the math but just tell me! LOL.
OK, so now, here’s my wish list: 1) Video of one of YOUR actual performances. 2) A new Bass Gang song. 3) Dude, you’re still killing me! Voiceplay???
Thank you for sharing your expertise
I have to agree, I love Kurt Moll in this! Was my first foray into Don Giovanni.
Wow! I never knew there was SO MUCH to opera. Thanks for the in-depth explanations.
I really enjoyed this video, it's nice to hear some details about this style of singing straight from an actual opera singer! One thing that I really like you mentioned is the volume of low notes in opera settings. Many people not familiar with opera think that it's so easy to sing a huge low note and be heard, but they don't realise that in opera there is orchestra and absolutely no microphones. Those people are like "Meh, I can sing D2 better than him. He's barely audible!" and they don't know how wrong they are. A barely audible D2 in opera would be like an earthquake if we stood next to the singer singing it. It takes a lot of years of training to be able to pierce through the orchestra with your low notes. I would love to see more videos like this, they can be even 2 hours long, I don't care 😁
One of my favorite bass opera singers is Samuel Ramey. I watched him in that epic LONG LONG marathon performance of 1990 of "The Ring of the Nibelung" shown on PBS tv where he played the role of Odin or Wotan. Jessye Norman was also in this literally MARATHON production which they did in a series of 3 episodes at The MET. Wow! I learned something new! I did not know that Don Giovanni was the first opera that used trombones in the orchestra. That must have been the genius of Mozart trying new things to make things better!
Hello Peter. This is also one of my favorite operatic scenes, although I admit my personal taste for Opera is extraordinary limited so I don't have a wide range of knowledge yet. Some very highly acclaimed arias or operas simply aren't for me. (Lammermoor anyone?) When it comes to this scene, I have been hooked on this number ever since I saw Amadeus in middle school music class. Everything about the aesthetic got into my soul and stuck. I also love the duet which I can never recall the name of our spell properly LOL. And I truly do love leporello and his catalog song which I also cannot spell yet again.
Anyway... I have just stumbled onto your channel and I was wondering if you could cover an opera song that - assuming I remember everything correctly - would be in your range anyway. I don't know the name of the song, it's been years since I've heard it, and because I don't know the proper name of it I can't find it on Spotify, but it is Sarastro song in The Magic Flute, specifically the one directly after the queen of the night's Aria. That one I do know the name of and can't spell it correctly, but I use my microphone to type LOL. And my microphone never hears it correctly. Anyways, do you think you can pick a favorite performance and cover that one?
Now, I have much more of a viscerally emotional relationship with music of all kinds. Learning how something is technically performed is very interesting, I would however 😮absolutely love to know how something like the tune I'm requesting is performed in a way that affects the emotion of it as well.
I'm also an enormous fan of the final Trio in Faust, although there's only one audio version I've ever heard that I like. And it's in the 1991 TV movie Phantom of the Opera, dubbed for the actors. But the man dubbing Charles Dance's Phantom was Gerard Garino. Fantastic voice I have not really been able to find highlighted anywhere else. In spite of being able to find other albums he's distinctly credited in.
I'm also a die-hard fan of the lyrical tenor Peter Schrier, may he rest in peace
I can only imagine what it would have been like to hear Moll live. Sadly I will not have the opportunity now.
I Love this, Opera deep Dive is so interesting
Thanks for the insights. Hope to see (hear) more opera, especially including dramatic sopranos like Birgit Nilsson.
This is great insight into such an important part of your life. Thank you❤
Not going to lie I’m usually really skeptical of these kinda videos, but as soon as you mentioned Giaiotti, I knew I was gonna watch the whole thing.
One of the opera bass kings!
At the beginning of the stay-at-home part of the pandemic in 2020, I watched the Carmen production aired by...I think it was the Met.... and it was my first opera. This video makes me want to make Don Giovanni my second. :)
I was so ready to hate on you for making this video. I was thinking, "who is this young upstart, proposing to analyse Moll, Ramey and Furlanetto?" But you actually did a great job on this! Thanks for posting it and good luck with everything after AVA
wow, thank you! my favorite Mozart moment!
Finally also Opera ❤....would love to hear your reaction on Maria Callas singing " Ah non giunge uman pensiero " live from Cologne in 1957
Interesting analysis of the Commendatore scene. I don't agree with everything, but that is the beauty of music. We all have our own opinions. Best of luck in your career. You have great passion.
Thank you Peter, Appreciate your expertise and sharing of light/dark (harking back to the country dudes singing nessun D) in this analysis. This is enlightening, educational and super enjoyable. Love it.
I love this! Please, please, please do more. Even if your mic is cranky.
More like this?.. Oh yeah! that's what I have just subscribed for. 👋
Is this full orchestration for this scene.If so, incredible vocal performances. My favourite ‘opera buffa’. I thoroughly enjoyed the Opernhaus Zürich production with Rodney Gilfry as Giovanni with Matti Salminen as Commendatore and Lásló Polgár as Leporello. Just came across your channel on my feed. Love your analysis & sheer joy of this listening experience. Subscribed.
Can't wait to see your analysis of one of the finest operas !
Oh, hurray... here you are in your professional element! I don't have the hour and 17 minutes right now, but I promise I will come back later and hang on your every word -- and note, of course. Don Giovanni is one two operas I saw, live and in person, as a teenager in the 1950s, and it made a humongus impression on me. See you later...
Settling in to appreciate you!
Back in the 1984s, I was assistant lighting designer on Don Giovanni at CSUF. I really enjoyed that show.
@PeterBarber I heard in your videos that you mentioned the Santa Fe Opera. I had no idea about that truly amazing opera house in the desert of New Mexico. Could you maybe do an episode on that opera, the work you did there, what it's like to be on stage with that breathtaking desert landscape and weather in the background? And what the experience was like, to be part of the apprentice program there. Thanks for all the hard work you put into your videos!
your enthusiasm is absolutely rousing
Great analysis, thanks for this. I have been watching this scene for many years on CZcams, fascinating to see a professional dissection of it!
I love this analysis so much, you have no idea! Classical music (lets spread that term very thin and say from the late 16th to the late 19th century), and Opera especially, is so vibrant and complex as an art form, its emotions and themes are so enthralling and inspiring. But the vast majority of people on the street these days just don't know that. You being so passionate about this and saying things like "Sick" and "Jazzed" in relation to this is so refreshing and wonderful to watch! I'm in love with this!
The best!!!
Sooo interesting. Thx
I get it Peter...wgat a trip!
Probably the best reaction video I've seen from anyone.
Great analysis, as always, Peter. You are among the very best at this, and here is a suggestion: listen to Eva Cassidy's versions of Autumn Leaves and Over the Rainbow. You WILL want to analyze these tunes. Why do I say that? Because I saw you tear up just a little during Geoff's version of Shenandoah, and trust me, while Geoff is absolutely shockingly talented, Eva stands alone in her ability to evoke deep emotions. Be sitting down and with a box of Kleenex at the ready. You've never heard anything like this.
I can do that, and I am close to 70 ysrs old ,all three parts but my preferred one is the Commendatore when he goes down to the low D......Now that is the real deal....I can do it,,,and it resonates ...with proper technique, you will get there...I can help! M
Great video! Would now love to see your reaction of a baritone singing Don G's part so we would see the differences and yor reaction to it as someone with a different voice type but singing the same part.
Kurt Moll is both thunderous and cavernous
"Putri Ariani -AGT" Reaction
Please do more opera analysis! I love your explanation and passion!
Kurt Moll was an outstanding bass. My favourite Osmin and Ochs. But his voice as velvetly warm and dark as it was it was not a dramatic bass. He never sang Hagen for a reason. Listen to Martti Talvela as Commendatore in the Böhm recording. Try Ghiaurov, Siepi, London as Don Giovanni..
Siepi is my fav Giovanni ever for sure, and I agree about Kurt's voice
Nice!
Ayo Peter,
Would love to see more of these reactions (Especially as an operatic tenor not too familiar with bass rep but who has all the love for it.)
To be fair though in general Classical bass stuff Isn't talked about much so it would be interesting to get your insight on more of it.
Love the video :)
Best scene of the best opera ❤ How do you deal with this when singing something else? 😅
Don Giovanni is not the first time trombones were used in opera. It was Gluck in 1767 who used them in "Alceste". I would not even rule out Monteverdi using them in his operas 150 years earlier.
The Felipe 2/grand inquisitor duo from Verdi’s Don Carlo next? 😊
Great analysis! You should go for Kurt Moll singing Raphael in Haydns Creation "Und Gott schuf große Walfische" or probably for Jonas Kaufmann as Baritone/Tenor :D
For me, Jerome Hines and Giulio Neri are top basses with huge voices
Thank you sooooo much for doing this analysis! I've seen a few videos doing this scene with flames on stage. Did your production have flames in this scene?
I'd love to hear your reaction to Kiri te Kanawa doing anything by Puccini
This is my favorite version of Don Giovanny after Claudio Abbado redition in 1959. It is Epic. Thanks for take the time to analize it. You have to give the protagonism to the opera, not to you. Sorry but somebody have to tell you the truth, you have to maximize opera image not your image.
Hey man is there a slower and longer analysis, because I'm up for it XD